Motherland of the reforMation. Group offers. When Martin Luther was born on 10 November 1483, Saxony was at the height of its power. Since 1464, Elector Ernst and his brother Albert had together been ruling the most powerful country in the centre of the Holy German Empire. But just two years after Luther’s birth, Ernst and Albert made the biggest mistake in Saxony’s history: they split up the land. The ruling Wettin dynasty was divided into two lines, the Ernestine and Albertine. Now there were two countries with the name Saxony, the Electorate and the Duchy, and it was the sons of Ernst and Albert who played the most important, albeit different, roles in the life of Martin Luther and for the course of the Reformation. While the ducal Albertines made Dresden their new residence, Torgau became the centre of power under the electoral Ernes- tines. After the Albertines had taken the electoral dignity off the Ernestines, their strongly augmented Saxony, which by then also comprised Torgau and Wittenberg, the “Mother of Reformation”, had the leading role among the Protestant regions of Germany for a very long time and made for the consolidation and advancement of the Reformation. At the end of the 16th century, Saxony had already been given the honorary title “Motherland of the Reformation”, a legacy to which also the current federal state declares itself. Together with ReiseMission, Saxony has develo- ped bookable group offers for you, for easy and comfortable travelling to the sites of the Reformation. These offers can be combined and customised to your indivi- dual needs. Travel dates on request are possible as well. Contact ReiseMission and celebrate 500 years of Reformation with us: CONTACT: ReiseMission ecumenical and worldwide Jacobstraße 10 Phone: +49 341 3085410 04105 Leipzig Fax: +49 341 30854129 Germany E-Mail: [email protected] www.luther2017.travel IN THE BELOW OFFERS, THE FOLLOWING SERVICes are … … included: Journey and trips in the long-distance coach with an experienced driver, accom- modation in a good middle class hotel, twin room with bathroom or shower/WC, breakfast, some entrance fees, local, expert guided tours according to programme, info material. … not included: other entrance fees, tips, beverages, additional meals, personal expenses, possible fuel surcharge Portrait of Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach the Elder from the Old Masters Picture Gallery, Dresden 4-day tour (DE-E-75): Luther as monk – traces of his order During a severe thunderstorm on 2 July 1505 in the present-day Stotternheim district of Erfurt, Luther was in fear of his life. A few days later, he entered the monastery of the Augustinian Hermits out of gratitude for his salvation, where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1507. A year later he went to study at the University of Wittenberg where he lived in the newly built Augustinian monastery. In 1514, Luther was appointed Prior Provincial of his order. In this role in 1516, Luther visited numerous monasteries of his order and thus also came to Dresden and his town of birth Eisleben. ITINERARY (Subject to alterations): 4-Day tour (DE-E-73): Day 1 | Arrival | Erfurt: guided tour of the historical city center and the TRAVEL DATES: Augustine monastery, where Luther became a monk, optional parti- 2016: 03 – 06 March / 10 – 13 March / Erected according to cipation in the Midday Prayer Leipzig: Accommodation for 3 nights 21 – 24 April / 19 –22 May / 02 – 05 June / 04 – 07 August / Luther‘s ideals – significant Day 2 | Leipzig: sightseeing walk with a visit to St. Thomas Church, 25 – 28 August / 10 – 13 November churches in Saxony home of the world-famous Thomaner Choir and former church of individual travel dates and 2017: the Augustine monastery St. Thomas. Grimma: visit to the church on request of the former Augustine monastery, where Luther often preached, “It is the intention of this building that nothing else shall happen inside it except that our dear Lord shall speak sightseeing walk and visit to the ruined monastery Nimbschen GROUP TARIFF: to us through His Holy Word, and we in turn talk to Him through prayer and praise.” With these words on starting at 250 EUR per person, 5 October 1544, Martin Luther inaugurated the world’s first newly-built Protestant church in Torgau’s Schloss Day 3 | Dresden: city tour and sightseeing walk, including the depending on group size; Hartenfels Castle. This building implemented the spiritual programme of the Reformation in architecture and Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady) and the Jägerhof, which was single room supplement: 90 EUR art for the first time. Also in the Dresden Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), known as perfection of church erected instead of the Augustine monastery that Luther inspected per person building according to Luther‘s ideals, the pulpit for the proclamation of The Word of God stands in the centre of in 1516 the tabernacle. Day 4 | Wechselburg: trip to the monastery Wechselburg, once Pictures from left: founded by the Augustines, and visit to the Roman Church with St Thomas Church, Leipzig I REISEVERLAUF (Subject to alterations): its rood screen, a prominent evidence of German art of the 13th Former monastery church, Grimma I TRAVEL DATES: century | Departure Monastery church, Wechselburg Day 1 | Arrival | Torgau: political centre of the Reformation; sight- 2016: 03 – 06 March / 10 – 13 March / seeing walk to the sites of the Reformation, including castle church 21 – 24 April / 19 – 22 May / and last residence of Luther‘s wife Katharina Dresden: Accommo- 02 – 05 June / 04 – 07 August / dation for 3 nights 25 – 28 August / 10 – 13 November individual travel dates and 2017: Day 2 | Dresden: city tour and sightseeing walk; including Frauen- on request kirche (Church of Our Lady) and Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross) Grossenhain: individual tour of the Marienkirche GROUP TARIFF: (St. Mary‘s Church), a building by a student of George Bähr, starting at 240 EUR per person, architect of the Frauenkirche depending on group size; single room supplement: 80 EUR Day 3 | Seiffen: centre of Saxon wood craft and birthplace of per person nutcrackers and incense smokers; tour with visit to the octagonal Seiffen Church, modelled on the Frauenkirche and found in many Christmas articles Pictures from left: Castle church, Torgau I Seiffen I Day 4 | Departure Church of Our Lady, Dresden 5-Day tour (DE-P-68): Katharina von Bora – on the trail of the Lutherin Probably the most popular woman of the Reformation is Luther‘s wife Katharina, née von Bora, a former nun who wed Martin Luther on 13 June 1525 in Wittenberg. Often it is only the ideal image of a Protestant pastor‘s wife from the 19th century that is projected onto her, it goes unmentioned though that she lead a household similar to a small company in its size. After Luther‘s death in 1546, Katharina lived further six years and died in Torgau on 20 December 1552. ITINERARY (Subject to alterations): Day 1 | Arrival | Neukieritzsch: Luther Monument, Kieritzsch TRAVEL DATES: 5-Day tour (DE-P-84): Church with medallions of the Luthers from Katharina‘s manor 2016: 02 – 06 March / 10 – 14 March / “Gut Zöllsdorf”, Katharina von Bora Church Brehna: former 21 – 25 April / 18 – 22 May / Luther‘s patrons – the Saxon abbey of the Augustine chapter of canonesses where Katharina had 01 – 05 June / 03 – 07 August / dynasty of the Wettins been raised by nuns Leipzig: Accommodation for 4 nights 25 – 29 August / 10 – 14 November individual travel dates and 2017: The Wettins ruled the area of today‘s Saxony for 829 years bringing forth margraves, electors and kings. This is Day 2 | Leipzig: city tour and sightseeing walk, including the place on request how they went down in German history as the longest-ruling noble family. Saxon electors played a crucial of the Leipzig Disputation and other sites of the Reformation role during the Reformation. Without the Wettins Luther‘s doctrines wouldn‘t have been spread and established. GROUP TARIFF: Then again Luther strongly influenced the Wettins‘ concept of rulership who remained the “Guardians of Day 3 | Grimma: sightseeing walk and visit to the ruins of the starting at 310 EUR per person, Protestantism” until well into the 20th century. convent Marienthron where Katharina lived as a nun and from depending on group size; which she fled together with other nuns Leipzig: free time at your single room supplement: 110 EUR disposal per person REISEVERLAUF (Subject to alterations): Day 4 | Torgau: guided tours in the castle church, the first newly-built Protestant church consecrated by Luther himself, where Day 1 | Arrival | Rochlitz: visit to the castle and the permanent TRAVEL DATES: Katharina lies buried, tour to all sites of the Reformation and visit Pictures from left: exhibition on the forgotten Wettins Leipzig: Accommodation for 2016: 03 – 07 March / 09 – 13 March / to Katharina‘s last residence Wittenberg: city tour with visit to the Katharina Luther Museum, Torgau I Ruins 4 nights 20 – 24 April / 19 – 23 May / castle church (with reservations) and the Luther House of Marienthron convent, Grimma I 02 – 06 June / 04 – 08 August / Epitaph of Katharina Luther in St Mary‘s Day 2 | Nossen: visit to the monastery park of Altzella, the burial 24 – 28 August / 09 –13 November Day 5 | Departure Church, Torgau site of early Wettin margraves Freiberg: sightseeing walk, including individual travel dates and 2017: visit to the cathedral, the burial place of the Protestant Wettins and on request the castle, former ducal seat of Henry the Pious and today‘s exhibi-